A Welcome Distraction
by iheartgod175
Summary: Huckleberry Hound and Desert Flower have been in a happy relationship for a little over three years. One morning, as they're watching the sunrise together on the beach, Huck tells Desert Flower something he'd been meaning to tell her ever since they'd first met. AU and HuckleFlower. Rated T for some depressing subject matter.


**A/N:** Before I start, I just want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me the idea for this story, and for loving me for who I am, as well as reigning me in when I get too caught up with myself. You deserve all the glory and praise! Amen.

Hey folks! It's me again, and as I promised, I'm back with another HuckleFlower one-shot; I do have some T.C./Trixie one-shots in the drafting stages, but I'm going to post them in-between the updates for my other stories. My next priority after this ficlet will probably "Mysterious Gathering" and "Have Guitar, Will Travel".

I was on tumblr and found a pretty depressing prompt that I figured would work well for HuckleFlower, as I couldn't exactly see T.C./Trixie in it. I'll put the prompt after the summary of the story. Because of this prompt, the characters, mostly Huck, may seem OOC. But don't worry; this story does have a happy ending!

I hope you enjoy this one-shot!

* * *

 **Story Title:** A Welcome Distraction

 **Genre:** Romance/AU/Drama/Hurt/Comfort/Angst

 **Rating: T** (for suicide mentions)

 **Summary:** Huckleberry Hound and Desert Flower have been in a happy relationship for over three years. One morning, as they're watching the sunrise together on the beach, Huck tells Desert Flower something he'd been meaning to tell her ever since they'd first met. AU, HuckleFlower.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, as usual.**

* * *

 **A Welcome Distraction  
**

Huckleberry Hound felt a smile tug on the corners of his mouth as he looked at the sunrise that came up over the beach. He only wished it wasn't too cold to go outside, as it would have been a perfect excuse to have breakfast on the beach. He was certain that Desert Flower would have agreed to it as well, as she loved to sit by the seaside as much as he did.

As if on cue, a paw settled on his left shoulder. Most people would be startled at such sudden contact, but Huck could only smile warmly as he turned to face his girlfriend, who was dressed in a deep purple robe that complimented her fur nicely.

"Mornin', Dezie," he said. "You're up early."

"I had gotten up to use the bathroom, and I noticed that you weren't in bed," she said. "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind." Huck scooted over to allow her to slide into the seat next to the window, right before pulling her in so she could lay on the crook of his shoulder. "I was gettin' kinda bored without ya."

"Aw, Huck," she said, nuzzling his side, "you really do say the nicest things." She then looked past him to see the sunrise on the beach. "What a beautiful sunrise..."

"It sure is. I haven't seen one in a long time..." Huck said.

Desert Flower looked up at him, surprise on her face. "You haven't?"

"I was too busy to take a look at one," he said. "That, and the last time I looked at a sunrise brought back some bad memories..."

"Bad memories?" Desert Flower sat up fully, concern on her face.

Huck sighed as he pushed himself up to a sitting position as well. He looked at Desert Flower and then took her paws in his. His gaze was serious.

"Desert Flower, there's somethin' I've been meanin' to tell you," he started. "Remember the morning we met?"

Desert Flower blinked. She hadn't expected that question to come out of his mouth, especially as he looked so serious. Still, she said, "Yes, I do. You were out on the Brookyln bridge, watching the sunrise."

Huck sighed. "Yeah," he said, "but there's a reason I was watchin' the sunrise, Desert Flower. I didn't tell ya before, since I figured it was too upsettin'. But now...now, right before I tell you about the other thing that's been heavy on my mind, I wanted to tell you this. I wanted you to know who I really am, underneath this nice gentleman-type dog."

Desert Flower couldn't say anything. She simply stared at her boyfriend as he began his tale.

* * *

 **Three Years Ago**

 **Brookyln Bridge**

Huckleberry Hound stared out at the East River, feeling the warmth of the sun seep into his fur despite the bitter chill of winter. The water gleamed with the orange-yellow light of the sun as it rose higher into the sky. It was the most beautiful, peaceful thing he'd ever seen, and right now, right before he ended it all, that was all he wanted to see.

He knew that many would mourn him. His parents would probably die of grief. His fans would put up memorials everywhere in his honor. His friends would probably blame themselves for not helping him. Top Cat and Yogi in particular had tried to talk him out of giving up. Huck had waved off their concerns, saying that he would think about it, but in truth his mind had been made up. He'd been through so much pain-the repeated failures at his jobs, losing the woman he loved the most, and death in the family had been too much for him to handle. He had left a message on his friends' answering machines, telling them all that he appreciated their help and their advice and for being the best friends he could ask for, but there was nothing they could do to change his mind.

He sighed. He might as well get this over with, before he actually did change his mind. He lifted his foot up, about to step on the ledge. One more step after this, and then it would all be over. He would be free from pain at last...

"It's a beautiful sunrise, isn't it?"

The light, airy voice that came out of nowhere behind him filled his ears. He turned around and came face to face with a yellow-furred coonhound, with aquamarine eyes and flowery barrettes in her ears, which were done to look like pigtails. He didn't know anybody who went around wearing pigtails in adulthood, but the look suited the she-dog perfectly. She was wearing a thick white coat with a pair of black jeans and matching boots.

"Yeah, it sure is," Huck replied. A sudden breeze came up and he shivered, feeling the cold seep into his bones.

The girl came over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Her smile was warm and friendly, the exact opposite of what Huck was feeling right now. "Do you know any good breakfast places in Brooklyn, or maybe Manhattan?" she asked. Her smile turned sheepish. "I must confess that I'm new to the city."

"You're visitin'?" Huck inquired.

"Yes. One of my friends had a baby a few weeks ago, but since the plane was grounded because of that snowstorm, I had to wait," she said. "You know the city pretty well, right?"

"Yeah. One of my friends made me memorize the city by draggin' me around on his crazy adventures several times."

"Good. I'm in the mood for some coffee and donuts," she said.

Huck stared at the girl for a few moments more, then sighed. "Alright," he said. "I know a really good place back in Manhattan."

* * *

A few hours later, he was sitting at a table with the female hound, who introduced herself as Desert Flower. She explained that she lived in California, and that she was part of an Indian tribe, but she also liked city life and had many friends across the states. In some ways, she reminded him of himself, as he had a diverse group of friends who lived all over the place.

He still couldn't believe that he'd let himself get talked into coming here from breakfast, but he had to admit, it was a welcome distraction. Desert Flower was very pretty, and she reminded him of his old girlfriend, Clementine, in terms of personality. But it was her optimism that astounded him. Even with all the chaos around them, she still believed that things could change for the better.

And that, for some reason, fascinated Huck.

After she had finished her small cup of coffee, she looked at him with those deep, aquamarine eyes. "Do you have to go to work or anything?" she asked.

The mention of work only served to remind Huck of what he'd been about to do on the Brooklyn Bridge. "No," he said. "Right now, I'm unemployed."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear about that." Her expression became slightly concerned, but then it was replaced by that warm, friendly smile again. "Don't worry! I'm sure an opportunity will come up for you!"

"Yeah, I hope so," Huck said. He couldn't believe what he was saying. He had told himself over and over to never use that word, as it was practically an omen. But he didn't want to dampen his guest's mood with his depressing attitude. "How come you're askin' me about this?"

"Well, I'd like a tour of the city before I head home to California in a few days," she said. "With my friend being so busy, I haven't had a proper tour."

"Well, alright," he said. "But after that, I've gotta head back home."

And then, after she was gone, he could finally do what he'd been thinking about all week long.

Desert Flower smiled brightly, and for a moment the thoughts of the bridge disappeared from his mind. "Great! Let's go!"

* * *

The tour took much longer than he thought. She had insisted on walking around the whole city, even though it was almost below zero outside. Although Huck wanted to get into his warm car, he remembered the hassle he'd had with it earlier that morning, and decided that they probably would've been walking anyway. So, there they were, taking the various underground trains to different sections of New York City, and then walking around downtown...as well as sampling some pretty tasty food.

It was the most fun Huck had had in a while. He had figured that he wouldn't be able to even do the tour, much less have fun out of it, but Desert Flower was to thank for that. Her curiosity and enthusiasm was infectious, and he couldn't help but smile a few times as they toured the shops, landmarks and restaurants.

When they finally reached their last destination, which was Hoagy's Alley, it was getting dark. He was greeted there by Top Cat's friend, Benny the Ball, who looked shocked to see him.

Before Huck could even stop him, he turned around and yelled, "Hey, T.C.! Huck's here!"

The lid of the trash can in the back almost flew into the air with the force that its owner, Top Cat, had used to throw it off. When he saw Huck, a whirlwind of emotions crossed his face: shock at first, then relief, and finally anger settled on his face. He got out of the trash can and made his way over to the hound.

"Huck! Where do you get off sendin' me a message like that?!" he yelled, which startled Desert Flower. "You almost gave me a heart attack when Dibble told me what you'd said!"

Huck was barely aware of Desert Flower's gasp as Top Cat walked up to him, grabbed a fistful of his jacket and yanked him close to his face. Despite being skinnier than Huck, he was stronger than he appeared. "Do you have any idea of how worried I was?" he snarled. His tone was furious, but his eyes were clouded with a thin layer of tears.

Desert Flower looked worried, but Huck wasn't concerned in the slightest. "T.C., you knew that I was serious about doin' it, too," he said.

Top Cat sighed, somewhat resignedly. Then he turned and gave Huck another fierce glare. "Never," he started, " _ever_ scare me like that again, Huck. The next time you pull a prank like that, you're gettin' a punch to the face."

Desert Flower looked from dog to cat, and then cleared her throat. Both of them turned to face her, with surprise on Top Cat's face.

"Please, don't harm him!" she said. "He hasn't done anything to deserve that!"

Top Cat looked at her and then at Huck, who seemed to come to the same conclusion that he did: she had absolutely no idea why he was angry at Huck, to the point of threatening to knock a few teeth out of his mouth. With a sigh, Top Cat composed himself and turned to face Desert Flower, letting go of Huck's jacket.

"Sorry," he said, offering a sheepish grin. "Huck here tends to do some pretty crazy stunts when he's here in New York, mostly ones where he'd end up in the hospital for a week or two."

Desert Flower turned to face Huck. "Is that true? Was that what you were going to do on the bridge?" she asked.

Huck nodded, deciding to play along with Top Cat's story. "Yeah," he said. "I didn't want to tell ya, Desert Flower, since I know you probably would've been worried."

"Of course I would've been worried!" Desert Flower cried. "You could've gotten hypothermia or worse!"

"He's too stubborn to listen," Top Cat added, and upon catching his feline friend's smug smirk, Huck couldn't help but sigh. Top Cat was having too much fun with this.

Desert Flower turned on Huck. "Huck, if you ever try something like that again," she said, her tone dangerous, "I'm going to give your friend here permission to knock some sense into you."

Huck stared at her for a few moments, while the rest of the Alley Gang oohed at the sight. He hadn't expected a demure-looking girl like her to suddenly turn dangerous like that. He opened his mouth to say something, but that was when Top Cat said, "Well, you certainly picked a feisty one for a girlfriend, Huck!"

That remark sent all the blood rushing to Huck's face, to the point where he was as red as his scarf. "W-We just met each other on the bridge, T.C.!" he said. "We ain't like that!"

"Ya could've fooled me," Top Cat said, shrugging.

Huck sighed. "You're impossible, ya know that?"

"You're one to talk, Huck."

* * *

One day stretched into two, and two soon stretched into three. After that, it was a whole week before Huck had managed to stop thinking about jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, mostly because Desert Flower and Top Cat had proven to be serious about their promises to knock some sense into him. And even though Huck wanted to end it all, he didn't want to get a broken nose for all the trouble.

He mostly spent his days applying for job offers, sending his very long resume to places that looked promising. In time, he landed a temporary job as a repairman at a utility warehouse. As a boy, he'd loved to build things and examine them, so he felt right at home at his new job. And soon, he slowly regained his happiness and love of working.

His days were no longer filled with fantasies of ending his own life. Instead, they were spent at Desert Flower's hotel room, where they would order Chinese takeout and watch one of those sappy Lifetime movies and riff on them. When they weren't doing that, they would go to special events together. When his old friend Snagglepuss had arrived in New York to do his tour on Broadway, Huck and Desert Flower went to all of his shows in the span of a week.

January then melted into February, and it became apparent to Huck that he was starting to see Desert Flower as more than "that welcome distraction" from his suicide attempt a month ago. He hadn't felt this way for somebody ever since Clementine had entered and left his life. He'd been trying to talk himself out of feeling that way, as he still hoped that he could escape it all. But whenever he thought about it, he could only see her broken face when she heard the news, and that was when he realized just how much he truly cared for her.

Of course, there were people who were more perceptive about his feelings than others. Top Cat and his gang had tried several times to get him to talk to Desert Flower, but without success. At last, on Valentine's Day, Top Cat decided to be a little more forceful. He'd gone straight over to Huck's apartment and handed him a spare suit as well as a bouquet of flowers to give to Desert Flower. At first, Huck didn't want to, but Top Cat told him that he'd regret it if he didn't. So Huck went along with the plan and surprised her on Valentine's Day with a fancy dinner. After telling her how he felt about her, he learned that she had actually liked him a while back, but put aside her feelings to help him out. The next day, however, both of them had to leave the city: Desert Flower to California and Huck to North Carolina. They did promise to keep up a long distance relationship until they could meet again.

Months passed, and then a year. By that time, Huck had fully regained himself. His friends were relieved to hear of this news after the scare that he'd given them before. He was now working as a repairman, content to help people again. Even better news was later that fall, when Desert Flower had sent him a letter saying that she was going to move to North Carolina in order to be close to him. It wasn't long before Huck secured a place for both of them, and it was a perfect arrangement for all involved. For two years, Huck and Desert Flower enjoyed a comfortable relationship that, while not without its bumps, was perfect for both of them.

The thoughts of his near-suicide attempt on the Brooklyn Bridge did come back a few times, but Huck didn't want to bring it up. Desert Flower didn't know about what he'd been about to do, and he preferred it to stay that way. She loved him, and he loved her; that was all that mattered to him.

But now, for some reason, he'd felt compelled to speak up...

* * *

"So...all that time, you had been planning to... t-to kill yourself?" Desert Flower asked, her voice choked with a sob. She couldn't believe that this kindhearted, strong hound who she was dating for a few years had been so close to doing the unthinkable.

Huck sighed. "Yeah. I didn't want to explain then, Dezie, since I knew you'd probably keep me from doin' it. Back then, I was so determined to do it, I didn't wanna listen to nobody. But to be honest, I'm glad I didn't do it. I never would've met an amazin' girl like you," he answered. "You saved me from takin' my own life by distractin' me."

Desert Flower wiped away a few tears. "I-I wasn't trying to. I only wanted to make friends with somebody in an unfamiliar city. And I happened to meet you," she said. "I didn't think I was actually saving your life..."

"Well, you did," Huck said, and he gently kissed her on the cheek. "And I'm mighty thankful for it."

"Huck," Desert Flower started, looking into his eyes, "please don't keep things like that to yourself. I want to be able to help you, through the good times and the bad."

"I know. That's why I wanted to tell you this before I asked you a very important question," Huck said, "'cause I'm gonna need you to trust me, through and through."

"What kind of question do you have in mind?" she asked.

"Well, I was gonna ask ya later tonight during our date, but I figured that now's as good a time as any." Huck got out of the chair, and got down on one knee before Desert Flower, one paw concealed behind his back. "Desert Flower, your savin' me from takin' my own life showed me just how selfless and kind you are. You're the most wonderful person in my life, and I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't want to spend the rest of it with you. With that said..." He revealed the diamond ring inside the box he was holding. "Desert Flower, will you marry me?"

Desert Flower gasped in joyful surprise. The tears had started again, only these were tears of happiness instead of sorrow. "Oh, Huck, of course I will!" she answered, standing up and embracing him. Huck returned it, overjoyed that she had said yes.

After releasing her, he took out the ring and slid it on her finger. He smiled at her gently, wiping away the few tears that had come into her eyes. "I love ya, Desert Flower, til the end of time. I'll do everythin' in my power to make you happy."

Desert Flower nodded. "I love you, too, Huck," she said, right before they kissed once more.

 **The End**

* * *

 _ **This is the prompt that inspired this story:** **Person A has had a hard life and is planning suicide. They decide to jump off a bridge at dawn so that the last thing they see can be the only thing they deem beautiful. Just before they got on the ledge, Person B walks by asking if they came to watch the sunrise. Person A, not wanting to be stopped by this stranger, says yes, and decides to wait for them to leave. Instead, the two start to get along and go out for breakfast. Over the next few years, Person A starts to get their life back together, and them and Person B become friends-turned-couple, and are happy together. One night a year or two into their romantic relationship, Person A finally reveals what they were really going to do the morning they met. What Person B's reaction is up to you.  
**_

 _ **For some reason, I thought of Huck and Desert Flower when I read that. I did take some liberties with the prompt, though, so it doesn't follow the story completely. But it's a good thing that Desert Flower came about when she did, or Huck would have killed himself. Also, I did like writing Top Cat in here, as usual. As I said before, I may just add him to every story I write for HuckleFlower from now on.**_

 _ **There is another HuckleFlower one-shot I have in mind, one with their family. There will probably be another T.C./Trixie one-shot (surprise?) that's taking place in another AU.**_

 _ **Constructive criticism's great, as always!**_

 _ **God bless, iheartgod175**_


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